Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-09-03
"CO-OPERATlON."

[See WoRKMEN's ADVOCATE, June %
Without controverting either the
statement made by Douai and the Lon
don COn,nonareali in this issue, or the lust
ness of the reasoning, l find their con-
illusions unnecessarily damaging to the
cooperative principle which they con-
denim as inadequate, because they have
in view only partial, not integral appli-
cations Of it, Admitting its commercial
economy, of the merchants intermedi-
airy profits to consumers, and the guar
antee of good quality in their favor; not
denying the value of it's method in pro-
ductive industries, yet the calculable eff
feet of combining these is overlooked, as
well as their connection with co-opera-
tive housekeeping, as at the palace of
Guise (Godin's Familistere)
A quantity of quinine adequate to the
prevention of African marsh fever, by
minute dosage, would be of no avail if
given at the height of fever; so the CO.
operative farms and trades, having the
store for their center of exchange, may
preventiyely exclude speculative oppres-
sons from their midst. Except to MAIN
tain money for taxes, they would need
only to work for each other, and labor
only could bug labor. Unless forced into
outside markets to meet outside obliga-
tions, they can snap their fingers at COM
petition with the organizations of spolia-
tive capital.
But city where they must pay in
rent, usurious interest on the invest
ments of the real estate shark, pay his
taxes as well as their own, and their
trades union levy on top of both, all in
currency ruthlessly contracted by the
Government to favor bondholders and
the creditor classes in general Why, in
such sphere as this, the fever of civil
zation, at its height, calls for heroic
doses, which may kill as well as cure.
That is not the fault of cooperation.
There is wage labor fatality and reduc-
tive competition for work enables CAPT.
talists to fix the rate of wages at bare
cost OF subsistence, whatever this may
be. No salvation then by merely cheap
ening goes, and it is certainly not prac-
tical that wage workmen should save
enough to buy the plant of great enter
prlses and compete with capitalist COM
| blnatlons in the general market. The
attempt to work with borrowed capital,
paying interest on it, is only another
form OF wage slavery, and has proved
fatal to most of the experiments in asso-
citation with working men.
Labor only should buy labor. These
words seem simple, yet could they be
truly understood in their bearings and
method by laborers generally, there
might be no need of civil war for capital
reduced to suck its thumbs in palaces or
go to work, would remember like the
mule in the fable, that its father was one
OF them asses, and surrender its naughty
pretenslons. Labor only should buy
labor, the prerequisites are free access to
an untaxed soil, and free money, 1. e.
the exercise of the right to float ones
exchangeable property as currency by
paper certificates. A legal tender cur
rency comedies to government the right
OF contracting at will, which is mode of
TAXATION without representation.
Illusions are created by confounding
the different sorts of reaction against OPP
preston. Political Independence has
sometimes been achieved by arms, but
"hen If ever was economic prosperity or
personal liberty enlarged by national or
political forces?
Finally, l submit, that while the de-
mand of your platform on capitalists to
surrender at once all the great means of
production, however just theoretically,
cannot expect compliance without con-
fiict of arms, the event of which is
doubtful in the extreme, this might be
avoided by single radical measure,
such as the abolition of Government
title to lands, beyond the limits of per-
sonal occupancy, use and need exclusive
OF building, labor on it, mere recession
from monopolist encroachment upon set
tiers rights, and the recognition of a
principle, the special application of
which would rest with the township O
municipal jurisdiction. This would be
an entering wedge and would conciliate
the votes of majority that is quite I'M
prepared to go the whole hog with you.
Access to the soil, untared, would ope-
rate as derivative to the competitions
of the factory and mine, and would ia
cllitate many cooperative enterprises.
Ennru-nprx